Approximately 20 individuals attended including speakers Brian Wright discussing some new ideas for creating a better model (Satyagraha Liberty) (http://brianrwright.com/satlib.pdf) and David Chandler presenting on his County Sovereignty concepts. We moved through some goals and objectives brainstorming processes, establishing a foothold. And the consensus is that regular such brainstorming sessions going forward will be a boost to the organization.
Please join the Lakes Area Tea Party and grassroots organizations across SE Michigan for an evening of information and motivation regarding Michigan’s May 5 ballot Proposal 1.
Some supporters claim that, without complex and costly legislation, the budget for road repairs might be depleted to the point that roads could become impassable.
Many opponents say that there is already enough state government revenue to fix the roads without further burdening the taxpayers or resorting to legislative tricks.
Do you want answers? You will hear from our panel of experts regarding the amendments to the Michigan Constitution and the numerous attached laws that will take effect if the proposal passes.
Expert Speakers Include:
Tom McMillin, Concerned Taxpayers of Michigan
Adam De Angeli, Concerned Taxpayers of Michigan
Tony DeMott, Michigan Campaign for Liberty
David Dudenhoefer, Michigan Campaign for Liberty
Bill McMaster, Taxpayers United Michigan Foundation
Scott Hagerstrom, Coalition Against Higher Taxes and Special Interest Deals
Paul Mitchell, Coalition Against Higher Taxes and Special Interest Deals
You will learn exactly what is in this proposal, how it got there, who will benefit, and who will suffer. Guests will be invited to ask tough questions, too.
You will find out what your elected officials are up to in Lansing, and what impact you can have on this proposal and other “road funding” legislation.
Be sure to sign up today for your FREE tickets at Eventbrite, and remember to invite your friends. Thanks for joining us!
We thank these host committee members and encourage you to contact them for more information about their organizations.
Farmington Area Republicans
Garaj Mahal
Greater West Bloomfield Republicans
Independence Township Conservatives Club
Oakland County Campaign for Liberty
Oakland County Young Republicans
Rattle With Us Tea Party
Republican Liberty Caucus of Michigan
SE Michigan 9.12 Tea Party
The Gadsden Center
Tri-county Liberty Coalition
Troy Area Tea Party
Troy Republican Committee
Willow Run Tea Party Caucus
By Leonard Schwartz, LPM Political Director
Libertarians’ greatest success is in nonpartisan elections. There are 92 LP members currently serving in nonpartisan elected positions; four in Michigan.
Nearly all Michigan cities have nonpartisan elections this November. Here is how to get on the ballot:
First ask friends to sign. Some might also help get signatures. Next petition door-to-door in your neighborhood. Petition only in daylight.
Saturday and Sunday afternoons are best. Because some persons aren’t registered to vote at the address they put on the petition, get at least 20% more signatures than you need.
Say something like: “I’m [name]. I want to be a candidate for [name of office]. Please sign this petition so that my name will appear on the ballot. I’m not asking you to vote for me. I’m merely asking your permission to appear on the ballot.” Most people will sign. Some persons want to discuss issues. Don’t waste your time. Say something like: “I’ll be happy to discuss issues after my name is on the ballot. But today I’m in a hurry.” If the person won’t sign, go to the next house.
An election is most winnable where there is a controversial issue. The issue need not have much practical importance. But it should stir voters’ emotions. When running against an incumbent, the issue can be that the incumbent is incompetent, venal, or corrupt.
Don’t be discouraged if you lose the first time. Martin Howrylak, David Eisenbacher, and Erin Stahl lost their first city council races. But they were elected on their second attempts.
Dear Friends,
As many of you know I filed a lawsuit concerning Religious Freedom against the State of Michigan. The case is Carrick v Snyder. The Defendants name are the Michigan Governor and Attorney General. The Complaint will be online in the next few days.
The Detroit News just posted this story. So in the next few days stories like this will emerge over me filing a lawsuit against the Governor and the Attorney General of Michigan over Religious Freedom and the Right of Clergy to do what they believe is right when it comes to marriage. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2015/01/13/minister-sues-mich-right-marry-sex-couples/21718645/
I am hopeful that as stories come out people will have a better understanding of my views. No one article capturing it I am sure.
I have asked several news groups about the possibility of doing more interviews but it is to sketchy at this point to know who is going to report more. I know of one national news group that most likely will do a story on it in the coming week. To be honest I could have several calls tomorrow it is possible to know. But I will try to put as much information up as I can on my facebook page about Religious Freedom at https://www.facebook.com/religiousfreedommichigan
And at Neil Carrick Ministries at: https://www.facebook.com/NeilPatrickCarrick
I am praying more groups, churches and denominations help out. I had a few reach out to me so far from out of Michigan.
I am sure I am going to get called some hateful names and people who are in my faith may be the worst.
I have taken a pretty hard stance for religious freedom. This includes defending people who are Muslims over their right to Religious Freedom. I also was very pointed about the hypocritical views of many and misuse of the bible. If you know me you know how much I love scripture and I don’t take this lightly. Scripture being so central to my beliefs.
I am sure that I will have some minimum support. It is hard to support somebody who is doing thing as intense as this. When the United Church of Christ took on their effort they had a lot more resources than I do. When the Brown Family took on Utah they had one of the best attorney’s alive to win and prevail against a powerful state.
It is not going to be easy. If you want to help please feel free to reach out to me. I am sure nobody is going to beat my door down.
I realize I am one person so I will say a little prayer than a few more people join this effort.
When I wake up in the morning I am sure thousands of people will see the story in their paper. I am sure a lot will sit it online. All I can do is believe that God will help me as I move forward.
Neil Patrick Carrick
Note: Neil will appear on Fox 2 Detroit’s ‘Let it Rip’ on Sunday a.m. 9:30 (1/18/15)
More News: Washington Post Blog by a UCLA Law Professor 1/14/15
He will be speaking at the Oakland County Libertarian meeting Wednesday February 18.
He spoke at the Wayne County Libertarian February meeting.
… politicians from both major parties are suddenly in a hurry to get something done. Establishment types are doing their best to both undermine the incoming class of Republican law makers and quietly get home to enjoy the holidays. After years of gridlock and a so called “do nothing congress”, we are expected to believe there is a renewed interest in doing the people’s business.
A search of Google shows that April 29, 2009 was the last time Congress passed an actual budget. Research a little more and you will find that even that was not a true budget. This kind of funding is known as an omnibus spending bill. The last time America operated under a true budget was in 1997 during the Clinton-Gingrich era. The country has been operating on continuing resolutions ever since.
The most recent omnibus bill funds the government through most of 2015. Consider this action exhibit ‘A’ that the major parties could care less what the voters have to say. With a clear mandate to stop reckless spending and government encroachment, the establishment made sure to get what it wanted signed, sealed, and delivered before the new congress was seated. Strange how after all these years of gridlock, when it came to funding state mandated health care and corporate welfare, R’s and D’s suddenly felt the urge to “get something done”.
Less than 2 months after running against the issue and winning big, lame duck Republicans funded government health care for another year. Why would they do this? One possibility is that it’s a strategic move designed to keep government funded health care alive and well. Republicans are now positioned to use the appropriations process over the next 2 years to nibble at the edges of law’s funding. This also creates a series of well-timed photo ops leading up to a presidential election. If all you cared about was getting your party back into full control, this would be a great plan. Libertarians see this situation through a different lens. Big government rarely gives back power that it seizes. This funding legislation also gives the establishment another year to socialize government run health care and make it acceptable to the masses.
It didn’t take long for the Republican Party to disappoint. Should we be surprised? Libertarians and other pro-freedom advocates have been pointing out this kind of hypocrisy for years. Unfortunately the message is only being heard by a small audience. With nearly 2 years of political drama still to come before the 2016 election, Libertarians will certainly have more opportunities to show a fed up electorate a better way. Let’s not waste them.
Jason Brandenburg
Libertarian Party of Southwest Michigan
Comments in light of the recent electionA ‘100 year sweep’, ‘Republican landslide’, ‘Dems may never recover’. While the Republican tidal wave is significant, let’s not forget this recent election unfolded with the backdrop of historically low opinion polls of all sides at all levels. Before Republicans become too smug in their 2014 victory, they would be wise to remember they are one messianic snake oil salesman away from becoming irrelevant (see 2008).
Every two years both major parties do an excellent job of turning literally one half of America against the other. In 2016 the spin machines spew forth all kinds of nasty stuff yet again, much of it true. Years of ugly rhetoric from all forms of media has left the modern voter going to the polls, not to vote FOR something, but rather voting against the party they believe to be the “bad guys”. Every four to eight years one side manages to win enough seats to push back on the other and stakes are raised yet again.
It’s funny how incoming lawmakers are more than happy to leverage the very issues they just blasted the other side for during the campaign. The cleverest politicians keep a public distance between what they say and what they do. Some Republicans have already started tempering expectations for actions against the Affordable Care Act. Obama did essentially the same on Iraq, national debt, spying on Americans, and any number of other unconstitutional pet projects he had waiting to deploy.
Rightly so, Americans just do not trust politicians to do what they say. The voter is fed up with power self serving plutocrats claiming they will fix everything if only we elect them. Need some evidence? As reported by Larry Kudlow, consider this question and answer from Edison Research. This polling company interviewed 18,000 voters around the country as they left the polls on November 4 asking the following:
Do you think Hillary Clinton would make a good president?
Yes: 42 percent. No: 52 percent.
Do you think Jeb Bush would make a good president?
Yes: 29 percent. No: 59 percent.
Do you think Chris Christie would make a good president?
Yes: 24 percent. No: 64 percent.
Do you think Rand Paul would make a good president?
Yes: 26 percent. No: 60 percent.
Do you think Rick Perry would make a good president?
Yes: 24 percent. No: 62 percent.
In the 2016 presidential election, for whom would you be more likely to vote?
Hillary Clinton (Dem): 24 percent. The Republican candidate: 40 percent.
Not only does a yet-to-be-named Republican beat Hillary, but those polled turned their nose up to every Republican name that was dropped. This does not sound like a public ready to anoint another mythical political hero of any stripe.
You can reference Kudlow’s article here:
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/392341/2016-hillary-had-worst-night-larry-kudlow
Does the very fact that a Clinton and a Bush both appear on a poll of this nature turn your stomach? It does mine. Maybe the public is willing to endure another campaign season featuring a Clinton and a Bush on the top ticket? Public opinion is a fickle thing, but this Libertarian wonders if 2016 will be the year a fed up public finally looks to cast a protest vote.
What are the chances that American is ready for the real “other” party? Maybe 2016 will be a true 100 year election for big L’s. The time has never been riper for a real conversation about reducing the reach and influence of government. Libertarians have been champions of this approach since the party was founded in the early 1970’s. Unlike Republicans and Democrats, Libertarians have generally not participated in the every two year mud throwing contest that goes on at a national level. The Libertarian party has credibility and history on its side. What it does not have is a great track record of electoral success.
The time has never been better to remind this republic of the freedoms and healthy economy it used to enjoy. Issues like personal privacy, endless taxes and fees, federal over spending, industry crushing regulation, a constant state of war, these are all things that Libertarians are on the right side of. The list is so long now there is opportunity to reach voters all over the political spectrum. Big government has been a disappointment to both conservatives and liberals, albeit for different reasons. If polls such as the one cited above are accurate, making the case to reduce the reach of government should really be a matter of marketing the pro-freedom message.
Presented in the right context, a pro-freedom campaign would be a breath of fresh air to a usually stale process. If 2016 does turn out to be the year of the disgruntled voter, the Libertarian party should be on their minds when they cast their vote. The Libertarian party could potentially make big gains if the public only knew who they were. Being active in the public debate is one way to let the voter know what the real alternative is. A pro freedom agenda holds viable solutions to the issues of these times. The American voter deserves to hear that a smaller more accountable government is the best way to start mending that which is broken.
Jason Brandenburg
Southwest Michigan Libertarian Party
Summary:
Story
The Libertarian Party of Michigan ran 37 candidates in partisan races in yesterday’s 2014 midterm elections. Not unexpectedly, LPM candidates were unable to beat any of the Republican and Democratic Party candidates they faced. While this is the fewest number of candidates run since 1992, Libertarians had much better than average election returns, even setting a couple of “minor” or “third” party records in the process. Libertarian candidates beat all other minor party candidates for Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and US Senator. (These are all unofficial results and should not change significantly when the official results are certified.)
Mary Buzuma earned 35,570 votes (1.13%) for Governor, the best showing ever for the Libertarian Party of Michigan and second highest result for a third party since at least 1972 when the Libertarian Party was founded (and the starting point of my election results spreadsheet).
James Lewis earned 60,874 votes (1.98%) for Secretary of State, the most votes ever for a Libertarian and the largest percentage for any minor party candidate since at least 1972.
Jim Fulner earned 62,623 votes (2.01%) for US Senator, the only minor party candidate besides Jon Coon in 1994 (4.22%) to earn more than 2% of the vote.
In the State Board of Education and three University Board races, the two Libertarians in each race all finished among the top three minor party candidates. Libertarian Kimberly Moore was the top vote getter among minor party candidates earning 114,120 (2.05%) of the vote.
While the number of LPM candidates for the State Legislature was an all time low, the average percentage for State House (4.96%) and State Senate (4.47%) were an all time high. These races included a couple of notable outcomes. In the race for State House District 61, Libertarian Michael Stampfler earned 2,941 (8.88%) which is the second strongest showing in a State House race for a Libertarian Party candidate since Jon Coon earned 5,042 (15.74%) in 1996. In State Senate District 20, Lorence Wenke earned 7,263 votes (9.03%), the strongest showing ever for a minor party candidate for the State Senate since at least 1972.
The LPM ran 12 candidates for US Congress, averaging 2.03% and beating other minor party and independent candidates in 10 of these races. This is the second consecutive election that the LPM has averaged more than 2% for US Congress, just short of 2012’s record of 2.31%.
The prosecution on 10/21 being unprepared for Scotty’s bizarre trial for trespassing, the judge postponed the trial until 12/16.
Coincidentally, Doreen Hendrickson’s sentencing was also rescheduled from 11/20 at 2:00 to 12/10 at 1:30.
As I pointed out to each of them, Bernard von Nothaus of the Liberty Dollar has not been sentenced for 3 1/2 years for the totally bogus crime of counterfeiting he was convicted of in federal court.
What’s the message here?
This year’s election night party is being hosted by the Jim Fulner for Senate campaign it will be held election night evening November the 4th approximately 7:00 p.m through at least midnight.
The party will be hosted at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Berkley located at 2299 West 12 Mile Road.
Feel free to bring additional snacks or a dish to pass as we watch the election night results roll in.
For more information see the meetup link below.
I’m attending a Meetup with The Libertarian Party of Michigan Meetup http://meetu.ps/2C79Zd
ELECTION NIGHT PARTY Tuesday at The Avenue at 2021 E Michigan Ave, Lansing, Michigan (517) 492-7403.
Please RSVP to Will White (whitewi5@msu.edu) before Monday so I can give Colleen an idea how many will be showing up. Maybe even pre-order a pizza or two if anyone is interested!
See menu and Facebook page links below. Starts at 9:30 or 10pm (kitchen closes at 11) and goes until ? They will have some specials for us, reserved seats by the TV and Wi-Fi available.
http://www.allmenus.com/mi/lansing/251066-gone-wired-cafe/menu/
https://www.facebook.com/avenuecafe2021
See you there!
Will Tyler White
Webmaster will send an email blast Monday night from any affiliate or campaign reporting. To learn if your area is hosting an election night gathering for Libertarians, please go to the Affiliates Tab here (http://michiganlp.org/?page_id=77) and contact an officer.
Candidates,
Campaign for Liberty has invited you all to their Liberty Hog Roast to participate in their candidate forum. This is an excellent chance for the statewide offices, congressional candidates, and a few of the state legislature candidates to be heard by several people that would have otherwise not had a chance to. Please contact David Dudenhoefer at 313-300-9696 if you’re interested in going. The event is on facebook and here is a link to the website: Home | Michigan Campaign for Liberty Tickets are $20 each. I am currently planning on going myself.
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Also, if you are planning on attending Liberty in Action for the LPM Fundraiser please go to: michiganlp.org | Website for the Libertarian Party of Michigan and follow the links to attend the event. Tickets are $20 each. Knowing who is coming early allows me to put them on the agenda to speak about their candidacy and helps me plan for food.
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LibertyFest 2014: November 8, Livonia |
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Thank you, and good luck with your campaigns. I hope you are available to come to the events.
Kimberly Moore,
Treasurer, LPM